our "starting point" dangerous and deadly tornadoes ripped through five states and today could be just as bad. one person killed. dozens more injured. homes flattened. people stay safe. oh, no it's hitting the house. there goes the house. >> wow. >> we'll talk with the storm chasers who captured this stunning and terrifying video. >> dramatic new video of a hot hair balloon crash. we'll tell you what happened when these two balloons collided in mid-air. then you know fans always want to get close to their favorite star but one girl got more than she bargained for the

billboard music awards when miguel slammed into her head. you got see the jaw dropping video. >> it's not pretty. >> it's monday, may 20, 2013. "starting point" begins right now. good morning, everyone. i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. we'll begin with breaking news this morning. we're getting in shall estimates that at that rash of violent storms damaged or destroyed 300 homes in oklahoma. we'll show you a tornado now that hit central oklahoma. look at that, bearing down on the city of shawnee. one man who lived in a trailer park in the area has died. about a dozen others injured. these twisters tearing roofs off homes, took down power lines and trees. tornado reports stretched through the country's mid-section. look that map. oklahoma, missouri, kansas, iowa, illinois. a huge swath of the country affected.

nick valencia is in the hard hit shawnee, oklahoma. good morning, nick. what are you seeing there this morning? >> reporter: good morning. we would like to show our viewers inside the trailer park. but authorities have too much to do and too much on their hands. but if this gives the view ears sense of how powerful this storm was, this was a tree that was completely ripped from the ground. you can hear the roar as this half mile wide tornado tears across the land, headed straight towards shawnee, oklahoma. there were more than two dozen reports of tornadoes from oklahoma to iowa sunday, more than 45 homes damaged, at least one person killed and a dozen injured. >> it's coming up on the houses here. >> reporter: the hardest hit a trailer park near shawnee, oklahoma. houses demolished. our affiliate john welsh said he's never seen anything like it. >> when you came over the shawnee trailer park to begin, were you not a bit astounded at

the amount offing devastation there? >> i'm used to seeing trees ripped up but the house usually there. this was gone. everything was just gone. like you took the house, you put it in a gigantic blender, turn on pulse for a couple of minutes and dump it out. >> reporter: rescue workers scrambled through the devastation to find survivors. >> there were tree limbs flying we hunkered down and hoped for the best. >> reporter: i-40 was littered with debris as two semis were overturned np 18 wheeler blue off the overpalace and flattened. overnight video of the rescue crew tossing debris around trying to find victims. >> my brother-in-law called me and i was at home. he said a tree fell on my mother's house and i needed to pick her up. she's 79 years old. she's diabetic.

she's blind. >> reporter: the oklahoma governor declared a state of emergency in 16 counties. residents fortunate enough to get underground were in utter disbelief when they surfaced. >> we were in the storm shelter, and it was like a lot of pressure in our ears. the top came off. there's 13 people living in our house. and it ripped off the top of the storm shelter. sound like a train and after all the noise, then when we came out the house and everything, the trees and the electric, we said we'll be trapped there all night. >> reporter: tornados ripped through three other states, illinois, kansas and iowa. in kansas downed power lines and hail the size of golf balls covered the ground as this tornado blew through wichita. >> it was very eerie. very dark. the sky got really dark. we went to the cellar and we

were so thankful. we also had our brains and knew to go. >> reporter: a sigh of relief as two missing residents from shawnee trailer park were found. more storms are expected throughout the rest of the day. this morning i spoke to the american red cross. they estimate 200 homes destroyed or damaged here. they put that number at about 300 statewide. a lot of damage. >> nick valencia, thank you very much. the threat of tornadoes is not over yet. our meteorologist, new addition to our crew is indra petersons. where are they headed? >> today is the potential to be as bad as yesterday. 500,000 square miles under severe weather threat today. what does that mean? means 55 million of you have the potential to see the severe weather and even a moderate risk area encompassing 5 million

stretching from texas to missouri. so definitely a tough day ahead of us. unfortunately it looks like this threat will stay with us. slow moving system. so really for the next couple of days we'll have to remain vigilante. keep in mind when you're not under severe weather threat and have a slight risk you have potential tor strong tornado to come and push on through. we saw ef-4 tornado pushing through granbury, texas last week. tornado chasers from base hunters chasing were in the thick of the storm. look at these pictures. simply extraordinary and terrifying footage of the twisters in kansas. let's stop for a second and watch the close up of the rotation here. >> we're right at the funnel. panning back down. almost too close. i can't zoom out and get the whole thing in the shot. panning up the funnel, looking

almost right overhead. >> that really is amazing. i'm not sure i've seen pictures that vivid.chasers are joining s now. give us a sense what it was like to be so close to such a huge storm. >> wow. it's pretty incredible. it's a feeling that can't be matched. you're feeling the power of nature, you know, right in front of you. but at the same time it's a scary hunter because you know the power it can hold and damage it can cause. >> how close you were to that? >> i would estimate at the closest a little less than half a mile. when the tornado hit the house we were probably about three quarters of a mile to a mile away from it. >> did you ever feel you were a little too close you were in a danger zone? >> not really. this particular tornado, it was

really a slow moving storm and the tornado was slow moving itself. so we had plenty of time to get out of its path, although it was, had some very wobbly motion to it so we made sure we kept our distance and had time to move if we needed to. >> looked like one of the funnel clouds was particularly big and particularly loud. i want to take a look at this one section of this video. >> wow. that's a long rope. goes way back. connects way up. they are saying in the storm way up here. there it goes in the storm. the rope goes all the way back to the west. segmented and then on the ground. >> look at that funnel. look at that storm cloud twisting up in the air like that. have you guys ever seen anything like this before? >> well, i was on a storm chaser

back on february 10th when i got the hattiesburg, mississippi tornado. a lot of debris loft in the air. earlier in the season we got that. we do see on occasion because we get close to the tornadoes. and so we do see that very quite often. >> i guess we're glad you're that close. the images are awe inst. petersburg but terrified as we watch it. what pushes the three of you towards these feats of nature? >> well, our number one purpose is to get great footage and photos. that's the main part of our company. but on top of that our other passion is also reporting to the weather service and other sources to warn of the danger that might be coming. so we make that our number one priority as a storm chaser. >> since you guys do this for a

living how do you compare this to other tornadoes that you've seen? >> well, on the front of damage, it was pretty fortunate it only really destroyed one structure as opposed to say the tornadoes that occurred this past sunday, yesterday. that destroyed so many homes and businesses across a more concentrated swath of population. but as far as tornado footage, it's up there for us. it was good close footage, steady shots. it was pretty incredible tornado. >> i know danger is your business, guys, but even as you were looking at it at one point you seemed out the ear little bit of a prayer. i want to listen. >> people stay safe. oh, no. it's hitting the house. there goes the house. i hope they are okay.

>> you have a sense of how much warning people there had that these storms were on the way? >> the storm had been tornado warned for not quite sure how long. couldn't keep track. but they have been warned for a while. the tornado is slow moving. when we went up to the hours we were the first people there, there were two occupants in the house. they were both okay. no scratches or bruises so i think they had time to get shelter. >> that's great news that they had the warning to make themselves safe. >> incredible. i heard you say i hope they are okay. typically when all of this is over you're seeing a lot of damage, a lot of destruction. how does this affect you emotionally? >> it can be really tough. i mean obviously you never want to see a tornado hit a structure. when it does the first thing in my mind i hope they got shelter, i hope they are okay. of course when we see structures

hit around where we're filming our first response after that is to make sure everybody is okay. we find everyone untouched and only damage done is to their property. >> we're glad you're okay. dangerous business you guys work in. we're glad you're okay and the people in that house you checked out were okay. you guys have some amazing pictures. thanks so much. >> thanks for the images. >> 12 minutes after the hour. three major scandals intending to weigh down the white house. the benghazi talking points, taping of reporters phone records and the targeting of conservative groups by the irs. what has it done to erode people's confidence in the government, in the president? we have some brand new poll numbers out this morning to talk to you about. cnn national correspondent jim acosta live at the white house this morning. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning. the white house has a sliver of good news with the new cnn/orc

poll showing president's approval numbers holding up despite this triple trouble for the obama administration. but it depends on how this drags on. as president obama escaped the white house to delive a commencement speech in a steady rain at moorehouse college in atlanta, republicans were still pouring it on. >> there's a culture of intimidation throughout the administration. >> reporter: top gop leaders fanned out on the sunday talk shows. >> who knew, when did they know, why did they do this. >> they want to drag washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expedition. >> reporter: dan pfeiffer was asked time and again when did the president find out about it? >> when it came out on the news a week ago friday. here's why. because, here's the cardinal rule in situations like these. not just for this white house but all white houses.

is you don't interfere in an independent investigation. >> reporter: the scandal hasn't damaged the president's approval rating. a deeper look at the numbers finds public remains concerned about the irs along with the questions about benghazi and government seizure of phone records from associated press journalists. after his address to college graduates on sunday the president told a democratic fundraiser it's him versus washington. >> sometimes you feel as if washington is impeding rather than advancing the possibilities that these young people represent. >> reporter: as for who knew what when the white house is acknowledging the white house counsel was told that the inspector general's office was conducting this audit, looking into those allegations of political targeting at the irs. she did not have the draft report but was informed of the general nature of that inquiry but it does appear the white house is taking a more aggressive stance with all of

these controversies on one of the sunday talk shows yesterday, the top adviser dan pfeiffer said republicans owe susan rice the u.n. ambassador an apology over benghazi. that's not like try to happen. >> clearly the white house trying to play some offense on these three scandals. thanks so much. you bet. >> new video to show you this morning. dramatic pictures from turkey. one person was killed early this morning when two hot air balloons collided in mid-air. you can see one of the balloons going down right there. these balloons were flying above several volcanic cones at a popular tourist destination in central turkey. one balloon struck the other from the top causing the second one to go down right there. you can see it again on the ground there fruitering. at least 18 people were injured in the crash. nine people were seriously injured. >> ahead on "starting point," we all want to know who won the nearly $600 million powerball,

right? so we went to zephyr hills, florida to see if we could find the person. you're watching "starting point". ow appreciative people are when you tell them they could save a lot of money on their car insurance by switching to geico...they may even make you their best man. may i have the rings please? ah, helzberg diamonds. nice choice, mate. ...and now in the presence of these guests we join this loving couple. oh dear... geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

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. welcome back to "starting point". the fbi is releasing new details about a training exercise that killed two special agents. they were members of the elite hostage rescue team. the men were part of the critical incident response group. so far there's no word on how the agents died. >> police on long island say the officer who accidentally shot and killed a student did not know a hostage situation was under way. the officer opened fire early friday morning on home invasion suspect dalton smith after smith allegedly point ad gun at him. smith was holding 21-year-old

student andrea rebelo in a head lock. rebelo was remembered during sunday's graduate ceremonies. >> please join us in a moment of silence in her memory. >> at the time of the shooting the suspect dalton smith was wanted for jumping parole. rough day ahead for northeast rail commuter as a key section of the track remains closed following a collision. ntsb investigators are focusing on a broken rail as a possible cause for the crash which injured 70 people. five remain hospitalized. one is in serious condition. a long stretch of track in connecticut remains indefinitely affecting metro north and amtrak service from new york to boston. it's going to be a mess up and down the northeast corridor to be sure. the billboard music awards

kicked it up a notch. miguel went airborne. he slammed into two women. brace yourself for this. >> oh. >> he kicked it in high gear. >> that's awful. oh, man i can't get over it. if you're going to try a maneuver like that make sure you stick it. one woman laughed this off back stage and interviewed with miguel with an ice pack on her arm. the other young woman took the worst of it. we don't know how she's doing this morning. >> i think miguel thought that was the woman who he hit. >> as for who won awards taylor swift was red hot. take to you l.a. in 20 minutes and tell you how many statues she walked away with. >> she has so many of those statues. >> ahead on "starting point," talk of the country, who won the powerball this weekend? we're live in zephyr hills,

florida where the winning ticket was sold. >> who has it? >> don't know. call us. let us know. i am an american success story. i'm a teacher. i'm a firefighter. i'm a carpenter. i'm an accountant. a mechanical engineer. and i shop at walmart. truth is, over sixty percent of america shops at walmart every month. i find what i need, at a great price. and the money i save goes to important things. braces for my daughter. a little something for my son's college fund. when people look at me,

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it's the single largest powerball drawing ever, $590 million we can report this morning. >> a lot of money. >> yes, it is. it went to the holder of one ticket in zephyr hills florida,. someone without it at this grocery store but so far no one has come forward to claim the winnings. who has that ticket? john zarella is in zephyr hills,

florida where i believe speculation is running wild this morning? >> reporter: yeah. you know, it's funny yesterday morning when we first got here people were coming up to us what are you guys going on, what are you here? later in the afternoon people were taking pictures of us and publix. still nobody knows who the winner is. this is the zephyr hills, florida publix. this is where someone we don't know who yet bought a single winning ticket in the richest powerball after, $590.5 million. some shoppers had no idea the ticket was purchased here or already had relatives calling. >> i'm hearing from relatives all over the country. >> wanting to know if you that have winning ticket. >> absolutely that i haven't heard from in years. i told them you have to buy a ticket. and i didn't. >> did you win the powerball? >> let's see. >> check the ticket. >> no it wasn't me.

>> wasn't you >> that's all i got. >> the winner has 60 days to claim the cash pay out prize and show up at florida lottery headquarters in tallahassee to collect. the winner can take an immediate cash pay out of $377 million after taxes or a smaller pay out now followed by yearly pay outs over the next 29 years. in a statement, publix made it clear it was letting the media drive the who won it speculation. publix said quote we offer the lottery as a service to our customers however we do not promote the lottery nor do we participate in lottery stories. we're excited for the winner and respect their privacy as well. privacy for the winner? that won't last long. by florida law once he, she or they come forward the name is public. now, hopefully whoever has the ticket is doing the right thing, getting the lawyer, getting the accountants and getting their house in order before they go

total all tt to tallahassee. and just in case lightning strikes twice in zephyr hills, i bought a ticket but only 40 million. >> always prepared. that's what we love about you. ahead on "starting point," just some awful damage this morning after dozens of tornadoes ripped through five states. we're going to look at the devastation live. then she was not supposed to be on the plane. we'll hear from one of the passengers on the us air weighs plane that forced to land on its belly this weekend. what it was like inside that cabin right after the break. you're watching "starting point". we went out and asked people a simple question:

how old is the oldest person you've known? we gave people a sticker and had them show us. we learned a lot of us have known someone who's lived well into their 90s. and that's a great thing. but even though we're living longer, one thing that hasn't changed much is the official retirement age. ♪ the question is how do you make sure you have the money you need to enjoy all of these years. ♪

welcome back to "starting point," everyone. april lot going on this morning. i'm john berman. >> i'm zoraida sambolin.

u.s. heartland gets hammered. threat of severe weather isn't over in many spots. initial estimates show some 300 homes were damaged or destroyed in oklahoma. this massive tornado bore down in the city of shawnee. one man died. tornado threats stretched through the country's mid-section. oklahoma, missouri, kansas and iowa. value is in shawnee, oklahoma. >> reporter: the sun has come up here in shawnee county and we're getting a better sense of the devastation. homes damaged destroyed. you mentioned 300 homes destroyed throughout the state. this story is about people. it's about people like kimberly graham. she joins us. she's a resident from this trailer park. she's wearing the clothes she fled with on her back. your house was destroyed. >> gone. everything.

gone. home, cars, gone. everything. garage. gone. >> reporter: what do you think. you said you've never been through anything like this before? >> i haven't. it's devastating, everything you've worked for, everything that you've built, the pride you have in your home and your surroundings and everything that you have is just gone. >> reporter: it was you and your 7-year-old son. you managed to get out in time. how did you get out? was there a warning sign or sirens. >> sirens from what was on the local weather station. you know, it was just like get out. i'm like we're out of here. >> reporter: you lost everything. what your going to do now? >> keep going forward. tomorrow is a new day. we're alive. and material things can be replaced. >> reporter: kimberly was telling me a short time ago it's the things that can't be replaced like photo albums, those things that carry a sentimental value and so many

residents here that are impacted just like kimberly and our thoughts and prayers are with them now. >> as she points out to us she and her 7-year-old are well this morning. that's cause for celebration. nick valencia, thank you. >> our thoughts are with kimberly. the oklahoma governor has issued a statement of emergency for 16 counties, lincoln county is among them. is that where the national weather service says two tornadoes carved a path of destruction right now. look at that map, all the states affected by these storms. kansas, missouri, illinois, oklahoma, iowa. a big part of this country on the watch for today as well. >> a lot of people are affected by that. we said earlier 50 million people. incredible. so happening right now firefighters trapped in a thick alarm condo fire in northeast dallas. these are live pictures. this is live on the scene. smoke was pouring out of the

three story building when firefighters arrived. this was about four hours ago. at least five residents had to be rescued. one of them of treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. we'll continue to bring you updates throughout the morning. one firefighter is trapped outside. we'll continue to follow this and pray that they find that firefighter and get him out of there. >> a developing situation. today is the day jodi arias can find out if she will get the death penalty for the brutal murder of boyfriend travis alexander. she's set to take the stand today along with her e ex-boyfriend and a friend. the case will go to the jury who must decide between life in prison or death penalty. cnn will bring her testimony live as it happens. speak of huge money yahoo! is set to buy blogging site

tumbler. an official announcement is expected today in new york. the ceo wants to tap into a young user base. the tumbler fonder and high school dropout david carp. don't dropout of high school even though you're seeing this. this is not the way to do it. he has to stay at yahoo! for another four years. >> amazing story. passengers and crew aboard a us airways flight counting their blessings. they survived a spectacular crash landing, sparks flew as the plane touched down saturday with no landing gear at newark liberty airport. pamela brown has an exclusive interview with a passenger who survived this flight. >> terrifying experience to say the least. all us airway passenger linda wanted to get was get on a flight.

had she couldn't get a direct flight, which was a simple kink in her travel plans turned into a fateful trip. >> 32 people sat aboard this us airways flight as it made this dramatic emergency belly landing at newark airport. linda was one of them and never thought this could happen to her. >> thought it was it. went down. basically it was a controlled crash but it was a plane crash. you see it on the news all the time. not many people survive plane crashes. that was my thought. >> the mother of two said she was exhausted as she was making her way back home to new jersey after training for her new nursing job in dallas. the flight was going smoothly until -- >> the captain comes out of the cockpit with a flashlight and starts looking at the once. at this point everyone on the plane knew something was going to happen. >> moments later crew confirmed

her worst fears. >> the flight attendant told us there's a mechanical problem. you could see the flaps opening for the landing gear on the right side button left side the flaps wouldn't open. >> her first thought contact her family. >> write to my husband we can't land. one landing gear went down. they are trying to fix it before we make an emergency landing. then i wrote to him no announcement from the captain yet. i love you. then i wrote we are crashing. that's when i turned off the phone. i kept thinking of my kids and my husband. that they would lose me. then i thought back about 9/11 how families left messages for their loved ones so i texted each one of them that i loved them and i turned the phones off not knowing. >> what she heard next she said

she will never forget. >> about 200 feet before we hit. the captain comes on the speaker yelling crash, crash, crash, crash while she's yelling stay in possible circumstance head down, keep in position, head down. so we're like this on the back of our seats. >> with sparks flying the cabin of the turboprop quickly filled with smoke. emergency chutes deployed. passengers evacuated. the plane was foamed. linda said those minutes felt like a lifetime. >> kept saying to myself stop, stop, please stop. when you finally stop it's like elation. >> us air weighs says nobody on the plane was injured but she sauce for her and her family the gravity of what happened still hasn't sunk in. >> i was joking with somebody i should have played the mega million. but then i thought you know what? i already won. so i don't need to play. i have my family. and that's what's most important. >> she says she wants to give a

big hug to the pilot named edward powers saying the pilot is the captain sully of land. overnight us air weighs spokesperson said it's a testament to how our crews are trained to respond and act with utmost professionalism. she also added doesn't think she will be flying any time soon and gets chills just hearing a plane fly above. >> do we know anything else about the pilot? at least by her accounts it sound like everything was calm other than the last minute with the crash, crash. >> she talked how the crew was very calm and did their best to comfort the passengers. you could hear how terrifying the experience was for them. she really said the crew in her mind are the heroes. as far as the pilot is going, us air weighs is not giving any more details. >> the vivid descriptions, it must have gone on forever. >> you heard her talking about texting her family.

she thought she would never see her family again. >> just incredible. >> no injuries. >> thanks for that story. appreciate it. ahead on "starting point" a flashy move at the billboard music awards. this turned into a nightmare for one fan. the moment singer miguel crashed into one woman's head. >> it ain't pretty. and she never thought he would show up. we'll meet the high school senior who got a shock of a lifetime when her favorite nba player shows up for her prom. amazing. you're watching "starting point". [ engine revving ]

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welcome back. 45 minutes past the hour. taylor swift was red hot winning a staggering eight statues at the billboard music awards. she looked really nice. >> the award show took a painful brutal turn for at least one fan. look at this. >> he goes on like it's no big deal. >> i'll keep on singing. that's r and b singer miguel who accidentally kicked that woman in the face. i can't believe that. nichelle turner is in los angeles following the billboard bust. explain to me how that happens, michelle. >> basically, you have a singer who is crooner and should have stayed on stage instead of taking a flying leap. twitter was on fire after this

happened. it was like the sunday night billboard awards turned into monday night wwe raw. let's look at this again. we've slowed this down so you can see what happened. he's really in -- >> look at the heel on his boot. >> it kicks her in the face. not only does he land on this one girl's head he cold cocks the girl on the other side and thinks it's the blonde and he starts singing to her. apparently the good news why we can keep showing this and have a little fun. the one girl is okay. he if activitied her back stage. she went back to the mosh stage after speaking to him. someone did tweet last night they saw her back stage with an ice pack on her head. the other girl we don't know what happened to her. we saw the blonde who was smiling. >> i know miguel is taking

center stage but there are other moments people are talking about, aren't there? >> you guys were talking about taylor swift. she had a huge night. she won eight awards last night. she walked away with top artist, top female artist and top billboard 200 artist. also a big night for one justin bieber. yes he performed twice. i thought he did a good job. he won three awards including the first-ever milestone award for inagagenuity and innovation. listen to what he had to say. >> this is not a gimmick. i'm an artist and i should be taken seriously and all this other bull should not be spoken of. >> ouch.

>> agree, he's not a gimmick, he's an artist, he should be taken seriously and the snarky comment i'll have is i can't take you seriously when you have sunglasses on. >> he has a chip on his shoulder. >> he's been taking some hits. everything he does is scrutinized. he said listen i'll take this moment to address all of the, i'm doing air quotes. >> justin bieber settling some scores. >> it wasn't my fault. i'm a big justin bieber fan. no one likes justin bieber more than i do. ahead. imagine your favorite celebrity surprising you at prom as your date. this actually happened to one high school senior who now will have the best prom story ever. we'll meet her live. ask her about this unbelievable night.

what it's like to dance with dwayne wade. you're watching "starting point".

. welcome back. 52 past the hour. some rough realities are stealing the spotlight from the stars at this year's cannes film festival in france. a man was arrested for firing a gun loaded with blanks near a french tv studio. the suspect was also alledgedly carrying a fake hand grenade. the day before someone stole a hotel room safe filled with $1.5 million worth of jewels. and so far there have been no

arrests in that robbery. >> it has been crazy at this festival. two special graduates will be getting their business degrees in burn at the boston college commencement say moneys. this this is a very big deal because brittany lauren and liza chur any were both badly injured in the boston bombings. lauren is still recovering from three operations on her leg. we're thrilled for both of them that they are getting theirdy proceed mads today. and a florida high school senior asked the miami heat superstar to go to her prom with her. wade never responded, but then just showed up at the prom and gave her a surprise that she will never forget. we'll talk live to her a little bit later in the show. >> it's never easy. a n a canadian singer only had a few hours to learn the united states anthem before a game. she botched the words badly, but

she did her best to keep going. ♪ whose broad stripes and bright st stars at the dawn's early light whatsoever we hail and the starlight still gaeming ♪ ♪ and the bombs bursting >> poor girl. she's not even close. but she's not american here. she was learning the song for the first time. how many americans know the canadian national anthem. the crowd actually helped her finish the song and of after th game said i'm deeply sorry. i wish i had more time to learn the american anthem. >> or a cheat sheet, right? >> right. >> poor girl. ahead on "starting point," how bad is the devastation after dozens of tornadoes ripped through the heartland.

residentses are waking up to a stark reality. we'll go live to the area. and then my favorite picture. a camera puts you in the mouth of a grizzly bear. this is unreal. frightening. i'm going with awesome. this will remarkable footage still to come. we will explain how this happened. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

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good morning. our "starting point" this morning, at least one person killed as dozens of tornadoes tear apart the heartland. we'll go live to the ground of one of the hardest hit areas with a look at the destruction and what we can expect today. >> and then a firefighter is trapped inside a condo building, it is on fire right now. we'll have all the details. >> absolutely crazy pictures. inside the jaws of a grizzly bear. one wildlife photographer was able to capture the moment when he chomped down on his camera

inside the mouth of a grizzly bar bear, all by accident. we'll meet the photographer live coming up. it is monday, may 20th. "starting point" begins right now. we begin with breaking news this morning. we're getting initial estimates that a rash of vie lint storms damaged or destroyed some 300 hopes in oklahoma. the tornado hit central oklahoma bearing down on the city of sean knee. we know that one man who lived in a trailer park in that area has died, about a dozen others are injured. and the twisters tearing roofs off of home, downing power lines. trees are down. the national weather service says tornado reports stretched through the country's midsection. take a look at that map. oklahoma, missouri, kansas, iowa and illinois. nick valencia is in shawnee, oklahoma. it's finally daylight.

what are you seeing this morning, nick? >> reporter: good morning. and with daylight comes a new perspective. we're able to see some of the houses in fact that were hit and it really gives you a sense of the power and the magnitude of this storm. you can hear the roar as this half mile wide tornado tears across the land headed straight toward shawnee, oklahoma. there were more than two dozen reports of tornadoes from oklahoma to iowa sunday. more than 45 homes damaged. at least one person killed and a dozen injured. >> it's coming up on handful of houses. hardest hit a trailer park. mobile homes toppled over. houses demolished. kfor pilot john welsh says he's never seen anything like it. >> when you came over the shawnee trailer park to begin with, were you you not a bit as sounded at the amount of devastation will? >> yeah, just the -- i'm used to seeing trips ripped up, but the

house is usually this, it was gone. everything was just -- it was just gone. like you took the house, you put it in a gigantic blender, turn it on pulse for a couple minutes and dump it out. >> reporter: rescue workers were scrambling through the devastation to reach the injured before sundown. >> electricity went out and then of course by then it was like because there was tree limbs flying, we just hunkered down and hoped for the best. >> reporter: i-40 was littered with debris as two semis were overturned. this 18 wheeler was practically flattened. overnight video of the rescue crew tossing debris around trying to find victims. >> my brother-in-law called me, i was at home and he said that a tree had fallen on my mother's house and i needed to come pick her up. she's 79 years old, diabetic, blind. >> reporter: oklahoma governor mary fallon declared a state of

emergency in 16 counties. residents fortunate enough to get underground were in utter disbelief when they surfaced. >> we were in the shelter and it was like a lot of pressure on our ears and the top came off. there are 13 people living in our house. and it ripped off the top of the storm shelter. sounded like a train and after and i will the noise, when he we came out, the house and everything and trees and electric, we thought we were going to be trapped there all night. >> reporter: tornadoes also ripped through three other states. illinois, kansas and iowa. in kansas, downed power lines and hail the size of golf balls covered the ground as this tornado blew through wichita. >> the sky got really dark. we went to the cellar and we were so thankful. we also had our brains and we knew to go. >> reporter: a sigh of relief as

the two missing residents from shawnee trailer park have been found. but oklahoma isn't out of the woods yet as more storms are expected throughout the rest of the day. and behind me, you can see one of the homes that suffered damage, its roof completely gone. just a short time ago, i spoke to kimberly who put a human face on this tragedy here. her home, lost, just wiped away. >> nick, thank you for that. and thing is the threat not fading in that region. our new edition to the morning joins us. edra, where are the stores headed next? >> look at this huge swathe of area. we're talking about 500 square miles under the gun for severe weather. about 55 million of you. and look how the threat has spread to large metropolitan areas. chicago, shawnee once again, they are in a moderate risk

area. so it has shifted farther to the east now including portions of missouri. looks like unfortunately this is going to last with us for another couple more days. as we go in towards tuesday, still another huge swathe. we're talking about 70 million people affected by the severe weather and even lingering pushing a little bit farther east and into portions of new york as the time we go through wednesday. keep in mind we have all the ingredients out there that we need. that is what's going on. seeing the warm moist air baking up against the dry air. we have all the perfect ingredients. the low in place and the strong winds at the high upper levels. so it allows the storms to get rotation in there and with that of course we have the risk for tornadoes. but keep in mind that's not the only risk out there. we have reports of large hail, downpours, potential for flooding is out there. a lot of people actually die from flooding. so please be careful. only six inches of water, that's all it takes to take a person out. bls two feet of water, that's

enough to really take a large vehicle downstream. so please don't be trying to cross any of the waters out there. so pay attention, have a plan and of course look around. make sure you know what's going on around you. >> please be careful and we will bring you the latest on the storms. indra petersons, thank you so much. oklahoma is one of five states hard hit by an outbreak of violent tornadoes, at least four of them touching down in the central part of the state. this is a live look at little ax, oklahoma. one person has died and anywhere from a dozen to two dozen people have been reported injured, as well. oklahoma governor mary fallon will be touring the state today to survey all of the damage and she joins me now over the phone. governor, i really appreciate you taking some time. i know you're very busy. last night you declared a state of emergency for 16 counties. what is the extent of the damage that you're seeing? >> the extent of the damage so far is that we know we have

somewhere around 123 homes and businesses that have been destroyed that once again we're still in the rescue and recovery staple. we had so many different tornadoes throughout the state. it was difficult to keep up with all that was going on because it was all happening within an hour to three hour time span. we have unfortunately lost one person. and certainly have people that have been injured. and let me make a correction. it's 23 people that were injured, excuse me, not homes. we know we had more homes than that. we have declared a state of emergency throughout the state and we have 16 counties that have received damage. we're working to get local jurisdictions, their phones and equipment to be able to do the cleanup and recovery. right now i'll be going out in a couple hours to survey all the

damage and to work with all of our emergency personnel and our various state agencies to make sure we're getting everything people need on the ground. >> so what sort of resources are you needing in those areas? >> right now we're still in the recovery stage to make sure that we have all the people located. people are still reporting some damage in the various areas. at one point last night we had 23,000 businesses and homes without electricity. and now i think we're down to about 7,000 or so that are without electricity. trying to get the highways cleaned up. we had the semi-truck overturned on a major interstate and certainly traffic was stopped in that immediate area. and trying to help people locate places to stay. a lot of people of course when you go through a disaster like this, they want to stay as close to their property to see if they can find items to be able to recover. in fact i've had one of my staff

members totally lost her home last night, the lady that does all the scheduling for the governor's office. and several friends that lost their homes. so we certainly send our thoughts and prayers out to those that have suffered so much through the storm. >> and we do, as well. i know you're busy. i don't want to keep you any longer. we'll continue to check in with you throughout the day. thank you. happening right now, a firefighter is trapped in a six alarm condo fire in northeast dallas. this is a live look at the scene. you can see them trying to get the fire out. at least five residents had to be rescued from there. one was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. we will continue to monitor this scene and bring you updates throughout the morning. there is a commuting nightmare ahead for many northeast rail passengers. a key section of track remains closed following friday's collision between two metro north trains in connecticut. ntsb is focusing on a broken rail as a possible cause for this crash which injured at least 70 people. five of those remain

hospitalized this morning, one in serious condition. a long stretch of track in connecticut remains shut down indefinitely affecting metro north and amtrak service from new york to boston which is an extremely busy stretch of track. >> a lot of people affected there. and ahead, the white house conditions shake questions about the irs scandal and the biggest one when did the white house really find out about it. on my own. y projs at angie's list, you'll find reviews written by people just like you. i love my contractor, and i am so thankful to angie's list for bringing us together. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. oh, hi thehey!ill. are you in town for another meeting? yup, i brought my a-team. business trips add up to family time. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! earn a ton of extra hhonors points with the daily grand promotion and feel the hamptonality. [ wind howling ] [ engine revving ]

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three scandals have the white house playing defense this morning. according to the last poll, voters believe the altering of benghazi talking points, tapping p of phone records and the irs scandal all serious matters but not serious enough to erode the president's job approval rating. j jim acosta live from washington. >> reporter: good morning. yes, the president has taken his lumps, but it's not showing up

in the latest cnn poll which shows approval nufl up i number holding up. but how long that lasts depends on how long all of this goes on. >> you all will get well. >> reporter: as president obama escaped the white house to deliver a commencement speech in a steady rain at morehouse college in atlanta, republicans were still pouring it on. >> there is a culture of intimidation throughout the administration. >> reporter: top gop leaders vowed to get to the bottom of the irs targeting scandal involving tea party and conservative groups. >> who knew, when did they know, why did they do this. >> what they want to do when lacking a positive agenda is try to drag washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions. >> reporter: a feisty senior white house adviser was asked time and again when did the president find out about it. >> when it came out in the news a week ago friday, i think. and here is why. here is the cardinal rule. not for just this white house

urks b but for all. you do not interfere in an independent investigation. >> reporter: the irs scandal hasn't damaged the president's approval numbers. but a dealership loeper look fi public remains concerned along with the benghazi and seizure of phone records from journalists. the president told a democratic fund-raisers's him versus washington. >> sometimes you feel as if washington is impeding rather than advancing the possibilities that these young people represent. >> reporter: now, as to who knew what when, the white house is acknowledging the white house counsel did find out about the irs allegations during the week of april 22nd, but the president will have the chance to change

the conversation later this afternoon when he meets with the president of myanmar. no news conference on the schedule, but it's possible we may hear from the president on everything that's going on right now. >> all right. jim, thanks so much. i want to pick up on what scrim was talking about now with part of the best political team on television. john king, cnn's chief national correspondent. he joins me from washington. and you just heard jim talking about the fact that the white house counsel knew about the irs investigation some three weeks ago. we're not talking years ago, three weeks. what significance of the counsel knowing that when she knew it? >> it gives republicans more opening to say, ah-ha. what else is going on. and you're right, the most important point is we have zero evidence the white house was tipped off this was happening during the campaign, that they knew the investigation was this full throttle. there were public notices at the treasury department was looking in to it generally, but did the white house know of the findings? no. but this is a key point.

you heard the white house adviser saying you don't get in an inquiry. that's not the issue. they were told a few weeks ago of the findings. and nobody pass that had on ed e president. somebody should have known this was going to blow up and so a lot of questions about who did know. and you know this well, the republicans see the smoke and they will keep after it. >> obviously the questions are is the president keyed in into what is going on. a lot of republicans saying no and a lot going on tv pushing very, very hard here. and democrats are suggesting it could be overreach. what do you think? >> it could possibly be overreach. the republicans need to be very careful here. if you look at our new poll, american people think so far a majority think so far the republicans are acting appropriately when it comes to

asking questions about benghazi and about the irs. but if you go too far, it can back fire. we saw it in the clinton administration. so for republicans, the speaker of the house john boehner and eric cantor met with some of the key chair men on their side last week saying keep going, keep pushing, but keep the conspiracy theory rhetoric to a minimum. competing pressures on the republicans because the base loves going after obama on benghazi, and now targeting the taet par tea party groups. so the republican base loves the confrontation, but if you want to do legitimate oversight, they need to be careful. >> you see the white house trying to play offense now. you have the chief of staff saying he wants the white house staff to focus no more than 10% of their energy, 10% of their time on the scandals right now. what message are they trying to send to them? >> wishful thinking, but you

have some turnover in the white house staff. what you're trying to say is don't get rattled. keep doing our business. keep focusing on the economy, keep focusing on immigration reform, keep focusing on other issues. but again, in a second term, the time is ticking. any president life and politics aren't fair. first year of a second term is critical and we've seen this president lose precious time. that's an effort to tell the staff we'll have to answer questions from congress and the media. but we can't forget the other things that are important to the president. >> and a lot still on the plate. major issues at play including immigration reform. how do these scandals affect the ability to get something like that through? >> that's a fascinating question to watch. because we know some conservative groups don't want an immigration bill that gives even a path to legal status for the millions who enter this country illegally. so far both in the senate and to a degree in the house you have some momentum for a bill that

would at least have legal statu and perhaps some path to citizenship. conservatives will see a weak in the president and go after the leadership saying don't give him this. the question for the republicans politically is do they think they can go through 2014 and 2016 without doing something on this big issue. and a lot of people are waiting to see if the republicans decide to be more stubborn, if you will. i sat down with the chairman, and he said he will do everything in his power to make sure benghazi and other issues don't distract from immigration. but the republicans realize they need that issue politically, too. so there may be despite this sour mood in washington, there might be a shared interest there. >> interesting to see. john king, thank you so much. 19 past the hour. ahead on "starting point," she never thought that he would show up. we'll meet the high school senior who got the shock of a lifetime when her favorite nba player surprised her at prom.

and there she is. nicole will join us live.

welcome back. i love this story. it all started with a youtube video. nicole, a high school senior, sent an invitation over twitter asking him to her senior prom. >> my senior prom is coming up and i have everything set for a perfect night except for one thing, a perfect date. so since you're my favorite basketball player, i was wondering --

>> nicole got the surprise of her life sometitime when dwyane actually showed up. what a moment. joining us is the lucky girl herself. thanks for being with us. we really appreciate it. so did you have no idea that he was going to show up to your prom? >> no idea at all. i was super shocked when he showed up. i was so excited and happy that he was there. >> so tell me how you asked him because this was in the middle of the playoff, wasn't it? >> yeah. i figured he wouldn't show up because, you know, his busy schedule and everything. but i made a video because it's worth a shot. and he ended up showing up. >> so he tweeted i had a blast at prom with nicole. never be scared to ask. they might just say yes. did he tell you that? what did he first tell you when you are in his arms there? >> he was -- well, when he called me on the phone, he was like, oh, i'm sorry i can't be there. and then he ended up walking in.

and he said he had a great time. so it was fun. >> so we see you dancing with him. so, a, how are his dancing skills and did he ever mention that he has an injury? >> he was dancing pretty good, but at the end, he was like i have to go ice my knee now. >> so did you have another date to prom also other than dwyane wade? >> i did. i had another date. he was my friend. but he had no problem with dwyane wade being there. he was super happy and excited, too. >> i bet he was a really good sport about it because who gets to hang out with dwyane wade. did he get to hang out with him, too? >> yeah. >> how long did he spend at prom with you? >> he was there for about 45 minutes to an hour. we danced for a while and then we went to take pictures and do interviews. >> as i understand it, you have actually reached out to him in the past, is that true, for a homecoming? >> yes, i have. at his book signing, i had

written on a book mark will you be my date to my senior homecoming. but he was busy with practice for the season that was about to start. so he couldn't make it. so i tried again for prom and he ended upcoming. >> you are one tenacious young lady. good for you. thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> no problem. >> a great story she has to tell. >> better play well against the pacers because if he's not good, people will be saying you went to the prom. that knee better be okay. ahead, jodi arias expected to take the stand. how could her testimony affect the jury's decision. >> and then check out the most amazing picture you will ever see. a grizzly bear decides to take the bite out of a camera and lucky for us the camera was rolling. we'll take you inside the mouth of a grizzly bear. i've never seen anything like

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welcome back to "starting point". >> the u.s. heartland gets hammered. dozens of tornadoes touching down throughout the night and the threat of severe weather is not over in many spots. initial estimates show some 300 homes were damaged or destroyed. that was in oklahoma. this massive tornado bore down on central oklahoma in the city of sean knee. this is a live look at a nearby neighborhood turned into piles of debris. one man who lived in a trailer park has died. about a dozen other people were injured. >> friends of a woman from oregon missing in hawaii for four days are praying for her safe return. she was last seen talking with a man outside a bar in waikiki

while out celebrating her 29th birthday. she was there on vacation. her friends had thought she had just gone off on her own, but now they're worried something bad has happened. and yahoo! is buying tumblr for $1.1 billion. it marks the biggest deal for marissa mayer since joining the company. the company's profits are struggling and last month it issued a down beat outlook. newest vaccine for whooping cough may not be as effective as the old one. researchers say children who got it were six times as likely to get the illness pertussis as those who received the older version. the latest research suggests that it might be time to develop still newer vaccine. and carrie washington plays a professional fixer on the soap scandal, but she went back on george washington university for a very unscandalous task,

delivering the commencement speech and importing some wisdom to new graduates. >> i am here today to remind each of you that you are the heros of your story. >> scandal fans, the intrigue whether continue. abc has renewed the show for a third season. in a star-studded salute had hilarious surprise guests during weekend update, one of his more popular characters announced to seth meyers that he was leaving him to marry another man who turned out to be none other than anderson cooper. the confrontation at the altar is one for the ages. look at this. >> get ready for anderson cooper 360.

♪ >> follow your heart, bro. >> just so you know, anderson is doing fine. not injured at all. the couple returned to the studio where presumably they will live happily ever after. and vets returning home for military duty on which expect changes in their families. but one army specialist from north carolina got a pretty amazing transformation when they were reunited. take a look. >> reporter: 127-year-old army specialist returning from a year in afghanistan got an incredible

welcome home surprise. his wife had lost 100 pounds while he was away. >> when i saw her at the airport, i was in shock. i didn't know what to expect and when i saw her, i was like there is no way that that's my wife that i left a year ago. >> reporter: misty went from 254 pounds to 150 pounds in 12 months. and her husband had no idea what she was up to. >> i was like, you know, what i'm going to keep this a surprise for him because he's never seen me like this. >> reporter: she lost 15 pounds within the first two months eating healthy foods and keeping portions under control. s >> when he was gone, i was like i'm going to try this and with not having him here and eating ice cream and night and stuff, i was like i can do this. >> reporter: she only sent photos from her shoulders up and he couldn't tell. >> out of the five years we've been married, i haven't really been this long without seeing

her and then i come home and she tells me that she's losing all this weight and now i'm here and she's lits arealerally half the she used to be. words couldn't describe how i felt. it was pretty amazing. >> reporter: larry also got another amazing gift. a reunion with his 3-year-old daughter whom he hpt seadn't se over a year. and while he couldn't recognize the new misty, their daughter can't recognize the old misty. >> she does look at old pictures of me and she'll be like, mommy, who is that. and i was like that's mommy. >> reporter: but her transformation wasn't misty's only gift to her husband. she also surprised larry with a new home and he says he is proud of how she's managed while he was away. >> she kept her weight loss and the house pretty much away from me for the past year. so i know she was able to face pretty much anything.

>> that's quite a woman. first thing larry wanted to do was actually get some food, but now he is being very careful he says about making sure that the food is healthy. larry is also looking forward to spending time with that beautiful little daughter of his. he now says he can finally have adult conversations with her since she was only two when he left. >> i melt every time i see that little girl hug her daddy. adorable. >> you marshmallow. ahead, jodi arias expected to speak in her own defense today. how could her words affect the jury's decision to give her life or death. and mother nature in action. we'll talk with the wild life oig photograph photographer who captured this -- will we cause it awesome footage? >> this is amazing. >> this is the camera became the gr grizzly bear's snack. everyone's retirement dream is different; how we get there is not. we're americans.

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39 past the hour. we're updating you on a story

we've been following all morning long. a search is under wear for a firefighter missing in a six alarm condo fire northeast dallas. we're taking a live look at the scene as they're fighting that fire, at least six residents had to be rescued from there. one was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and of course as we said, one firefighter is still missing. we'll continue to monitor the situation for and bring you updates throughout the morning. today jodi arias could find out if she will get the death penalty. she's set to speak in her defense along with her ex-boyfriend and her friend patricia womac as the sentencing phase continues. once testimony wraps up, there will be closing statements and then the case will go to the jury who must decide her fate. ted rowlands is live in phoenix with a preview. >> reporter: good morning. a big day here for jodi arias as she fights for her life in arizona. as you mentioned, first we're expecting two witnesses to testify on her before. her former boyfriend who

actually testified during the trial in chief and then a childhood friend, patricia womac, who is expected to testify, influence are repother she may be backing out. last week the judge issued an order that there would be no televised coverage of her testimony because she was so concerned about defending jodi arias on national tv and now we're hearing there is a possibility she may have backed out all together. the big witness, though, will be jodi arias herself. after she was convicted, she did a television interview with a local reporter and shed she wanted the death penalty. so will she take the stand or just make a statement. if she takes the stand, of course she'll be subjected to juan martinez the prosecutor. with a statement, there will nobody cross-examination. and will she say she wants to be spared or will she ask like she said did in that interview for the death penalty.

we will wait and see. >> high drama indeed. and we should point out when jodi arias does take the stand, cnn will cover it live. more dramatic twists and turns in this case. ted, thanks so much. and joining us now is joey jackson. and you have been covering this for quite some time. the big question is, will she take the stand. we're hearing that she will. what will she say. what do you think. >> i don't believe she'll it at that time stand. i think she'll make a statement. here is the distinction. if she takes the stand, she's subject to cross-examination. and anyone who has been following this trial closely will know that, listen, this person juan martinez is absolutely wound up and will cross-examine her very effectively almost to the point where it detriments here. so i believe she'll make a statement. what she'll say is so subject to question because she's so vol i will volatile. you remember interview.

longevity runs in my family, so i think i want them to sentence me to death. >> so what if she does take the stand and pleads for her life o are on tries to give the jury a reason to keep her alive. what about that statement in the interview. >> interestingly enough, this stage is about mitigation. what does mitigation mean. it means anything relevant that the jury can consider to spare your life. so your question very pointedly and properly so, what she will say. what about she says has to be if she wants to live and who knows what she's doing, was it reverse psychology by saying i want to die, did she really mean that. but she has to at this point accept responsibility. n anyone following the trial knows it's all about everyone else. travis abused me, everyone mistreated me, the prosecutor is doing me wrong. nothing falls on her. so unless she's prepared to get on that stand and say i took his life, he was none of the things that i told you he was, the buck

stops with me, i am sorry, i beg you for mercy, i beg you for leniency, i beg you for my life, i think be sent that and even if she does that she still mail y sentenced to death. >> this would be another way of her changing her story at the 11th hour which i don't know would go over well with the jurors. but let me ask you about the latest development. how would not taking the stand affect -- >> as far as patty womac, that i'm not sure. even though she's a childhood friend, what is she going to say? jodi arias was a good child, a good person, she took care of people. and all the prosecutor has to say is was she good when she was stabbing travis alexander is this was she a good person when she shot him in the head, was she a good person when she showed him no mercy and slit his throat? the big question is whether her mom would testify, and even if her mother testifies, i don't know if that would help her because she said my mom abused me, my mom was terrible to me.

so what's the mom going to say? in my view, the only person who can help her is herself. and what she'll say, anybody's guess. >> and this is what she's up against. she's up against very emotional al testimony last week from people who were close to travis alexander. his sister testified and gave very emotional, dramatic testimony. let's listen quickly. >> i am a police officer. and some of these photos are more gruesome than i've ever seen in my 11 years of what you enforcement. our minds are permanently stained with images of our poor brother's throat slit from ear to ear. our minds are stained with the image of travis' body slumped dead in the shower. >> so typically and i know there isn't a typical, but typically how does a jury weigh dramatic emotional testimony like that

compared to something that is a convicted killer might say? >> this was so compelling and riveting. just unbelievable. you listen to that family. they sat there for 4 1/2 months as the trial was going on. what grace, what dignity they comported themselves with as they just stood there listening to their brother's character attorn torn apart. you have to believe the significance of what his life really meant, you kip that he will with his brother's testimony as he talked to the jury about what travis meant, and i have to tell you that this has to be so impactful to that jury and when they weigh that against what she might say or anyone else might say, you look at the scales, they have to weight, have to weigh against her without question. >> and so if she does get the death penalty, how long before -- we know it's a very long process before she actually faces death. >> the typical standard for arizona right now is 10 to 12 years before the death penalty

is imposed. and that of course is because of the variety of appeals and that type thing that it takes. and there should be peoples because we quant want to make s every i was dotted and t crossed. but i think the trial was open and fair and no question the jury got it right. >> joey jackson, thank you so much for joining us. you can watch arias speaking live on cnn and hln, coverage starts at 1:00 p.m. eastern. >> and we simply do not know what it is she might say. could be high drama there in arizona. >> ahead on "starting point," open i'd. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.wi'd. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.uidi'd. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.ei'd. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.'d. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.d. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.id. a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear.e.

a camera catches the terrifying look inside the mouth of a grizzly bear. the camera survived. we'll speak to the wildlife photographer who accidentallyd moment. we had never used a contractor before and didn't know where to start. at angie's list, you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare written by people just like you. no company can pay to be on angie's list, so you can trust what you're reading. angie's list is like having thousands of close neighbors where i can go ask for personal recommendations. that's the idea. before you have any work done, check angie's list. from roofers to plumbers to dentists and more, angie's list -- reviews you can trust. i love you, angie. sorry, honey.

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point o point. here are your top stories. president obama planning to speak thursday about policies on counter terrorism including the use of drones. the president is also expected to outline the most serious threats facing the u.s. today and the latest efforts to shut down guantanamo bay. >> history being made in los angeles no matter who wins the mayor. the incumbent is stepping down because of term limits. seeking to replace him are the city controller and city councilman. could be either the first woman or the jewish mayor. and british sicientist payig tribute to johnny depp. a 500 million year old fossil was found. when he saw the claws, depp's

edward scissors or hands was the first thing that came to minds. . so he led with the obvious. our most important story of the day. do you ever wonder what it would be like to be eaten by a grizzly bear? >> all the tilime. >> a hundrhungra hundrehungry c. amazingly the cam rakacamera un. let's look. oh, yeah. let's see it again. come on, take another bite. >> that's on gross. for a moment in the spotlight, it certainly found it.

the video has more than 600,000 views. brad, you are a superstar this morning to so many people. we are truly enjoying this video that we have. so you placed this camera on a rock in a stream where you knew the bears would go. is this this the shot you were going for? >> no, it wasn't, because i was -- normally about 99% of the time i think that bear would have probably crushed the camera. i would have been out another $300 because i've lost a lot of cameras to bears. so i try to avoid that. i guess i got lucky that the bear did that. we got that perspective in the mouth. but didn't destroy the camera, which would have been so easy. i was mostly going for just the bears walking by or catching fish and eating them . usually they ignore the little cameras. >> and as you said, you're

shocked the camera survived. how tough was cleaning it off afterwards? >> there was some saliva and stuff on there. but it wasn't very hard to clean it off. how did it survive? they're pretty tough cameras. but i think really obviously the bite force of a grizzly wouldn't stand up to anything like that. so i don't know. i think that bear probably knew it was my camera and just wanted to sort of smell it, play with it a little bit. but just didn't want to break it. i've watched that cub grow up for three years now. and she understands us and we respect her, she respects us. maybe that's part of it. i don't know. >> that's really sweet. so this is kind of personal to you. how close do you actually get to these bears? >> well, we don't -- i never approach the bears. i just -- if i know a place a bear might go, i get there first and that way i never bother

them. but usually we place ourselves in areas and act in a way that's not threatening to the bears. they generally come by pretty close. just depends on the bear and the day. >> you've been following the bear for a long time. why do you feel so close to this bear besides the fact you've now seen inside her mouth? >> anytime you watch a child grow up or kitten or puppy or whatever it is grow up and learn from the mother, it's pretty fascinating. vo a i don't have any connection other than being an ob everybody server. >> are you surprised wood how popular this video has become? >> no. well, maybe, yes. i expected a bunch hits, but i didn't expect all this.

i also really want to say it wasn't my sbepgs intention to m video scary about bears. my whole job in life really is to make people appreciate bears. because when you appreciate these animals, people start loving them and conserve them. that's what they need. they don't need bear-anoia. most of the clips or whatever i do for bears, it's to try to make people understand them. they're sort of misunderstood. so i didn't mean to scare everybody. and this cub like i said didn't damage the camera. just messing around. >> well, brad, your love for these bears really costs through talking to you. thank you so much and thank you for this remarkable footage. as i said, i've never seen anything like it. so thanks so much. we're debating whether it's awesome or a little bit gross. let us know what you think.

awesome or gross? >> or and you zchlly gross. starting point oig back in a moment. i almost didn't recognize you without the suit. well, this is my weekend suit. weekend getaways just got better. well, enjoy your round! alright, thanks! save a ton on our best available rate when you book early and feel the hamptonality.

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